Southern Andean steppe

{{Infobox ecoregion

| name = Southern Andean steppe

| image = J28 312 Estero Yerba Loca.jpg

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Lo Barnechea, Chile

| map = Ecoregion NT1008.png

| map_size =

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Ecoregion territory (in purple)

| biogeographic_realm = Neotropical

| biome = Montane grasslands and shrublands

| border = Patagonian steppe

| border1 = Valdivian temperate forests

| border2 = Chilean matorral

| border3 = High Monte

| border4 = Central Andean puna

| border5 = Central Andean dry puna

| bird_species =

| mammal_species =

| country = Chile

| country1 = Argentina

| area = 178200

| state =

| habitat_loss =

| habitat_loss_ref =

| protected = 21.165

| protected_ref = "Southern Andean steppe". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 6 April 2022. [https://dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ecoregion/61008]

}}

The Southern Andean steppe is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion occurring along the border of Chile and Argentina in the high elevations of the southern Andes mountain range.

Setting

This ecoregion is found from {{convert|3500|to|5000|m|ft}} in the north to {{convert|1800|to|3000|m|ft}} in the south. At higher elevations are found permanent snow, glaciers, and ice fields. At lower elevations, this ecoregion grades into Chilean matorral and Valdivian temperate forests to the west and High Monte to the east. To the north it transitions to the Central Andean dry puna and to the south the Patagonian steppe.{{WWF ecoregion

| id=nt1008

| name= Southern Andean steppe

}}

Climate

This ecoregion has a cold desert climate, Köppen climate classification BWk. Precipitation falls mainly in winter.

Flora

The flora of this ecoregion is adapted to its cold, dry, and windy climate. Many of the plant genera have evolved endemic species.

The plants on the western side of this ecoregion can be divided into three zones based on their growth forms and elevation. In the lower elevations, {{convert|2000|to|2700|m|ft}}, grow large shrubs

such as Chuquiraga oppositifolia and Nassauvia axillaris. In intermediate elevations, {{convert|2700|to|3300|m|ft}}, grow small shrubs, tussock grasses, and cushions. These include Azorella madreporica, Laretia acaulis, and Stipa spp. In the highest elevations, extending to {{convert|3900|m|ft}}, grow small forbs, rosettes, and grasses such as Nassauvia lagascae, Oxalis erythrorhiza, Nassauvia pinnigera and Moschopsis leyboldii.

The plants on the eastern side do not grow in distinct zones. In the lower elevations, {{convert|1900|to|2700|m|ft}}, grow plants of the genera Stipa, Adesmia, Mulinum, Nassauvia, and Chuquiraga. Higher, from {{convert|2700|to|3300|m|ft}}, are shrubs and cushion plants of Oxalis, Junellia, Adesmia, Laretia and Azorella. At the highest elevations, {{convert|3300|to|4500|m|ft}}, grow Senecio, Nassauvia, Chaetanthera, Draba, Barneoudia, Leucheria, and Moschopsis.